Educational Partnerships

Thanks to a recent community partnership, education majors at the University of West
Georgia now have more access to real classroom situations and hands-on teaching experience.
UWG’s College of Education joined forces with Carroll County Schools and named Central Elementary and Sand Hill Elementary as premier learning sites for
UWG students, dubbing the partnership the Professional Development School Partnership.

As part of the Professional Development School, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday,
seniors in the early-childhood program at UWG are placed in classrooms at these schools and participate in field work with
current teachers. The students also enroll in an on-site literacy course that covers
writing instruction and the reading-writing connection. The class meets once a week
and teaches the students the best practices for developing young writers and teaching
students to read like writers.

Dr. Jennifer Allen, assistant professor in the Department of Literacy and Special Education, teaches the class for the Professional Development School model (PDS) and is the
PDS coordinator for the College of Education. Dr. Laura Smith, associate dean for
educational preparation, explained that the PDS model refers to innovative partnerships
between professional education programs and p-12 schools. These partnerships focus
on continuous school improvement and student achievement through the preparation of
teacher candidates and professional development of P-20 education.

“In addition to reading about, discussing, and simulating these best practices in
our university classroom, my students gain authentic experience with their learning
– and thus a deeper understanding – by implementing their learning in real classrooms
with real elementary students,” Allen said. “These partnerships are mutually beneficial
in the sense that the pre-service teachers at the university are immersed in the school
culture as they learn best practices in education through hands-on experiences in
classrooms while the classroom teachers and students at the school benefit from exposure
to cutting-edge ideas as well as a more optimal teacher-student ratio.”

As graduation draws near, it is important for UWG students to be equipped for the
workforce. Allen said by completing this program, students become more confident teachers
after student teaching through the early-childhood program. Not only does it give
them a chance to explore the field, but also to learn different teaching and writing
styles, and how to interact with their pupils.

“It has given me the opportunity to work so closely with one of the largest schools
in Carroll County,” said Monica Nacey, UWG student and current student teacher at
Central Elementary School. “In fifth grade alone, there are six classrooms. They [teachers]
affect so many lives. Being right along side them for the entire year and being trained
by them, I believe, will only lead me closer to having success as a future educator.”